Here's my update: Success! I purchased two blank remote FOBs through EBay (from a reputable vender), then took them to Batteries Plus (in Vacaville, CA). The Tech had a little trouble at first as he wasn't familiar with Pilots. At first attempt, none of the FOBs worked and I thought, "Oh crap." I had explained the Immobilizer function, but neither he nor his manager knew about it.
But he realized, after 3-4 more attempts, that the connection of the adapter linking his laptop to my car wasn't fitted tightly. After that, each FOB remote functioned correctly.
$80/FOB for programming, $10/key for cutting. Total: $180.00. A hell of a lot less than the dealer (roughly $500.00) and one locksmith as well as Honda repair shop (both about $285/key).
I've tried each FOB remote several times now without issue.